Travel to FLL - We try to go in the night before sailing just to ward off any possible travel snafu. We got out of Boston ahead of an anticipated storm on the 10th. We booked the Renaissance Fort Lauderdale and it proved to be an excellent choice. It was near the airport and across the street from the port. it also had the convenience of several good restaurants in easy walking distance (a very safe area) and a Walgreen's across the street for any last minute purchases.

Embarkation - We went over about 11:45 and encountered almost no wait. We cleared security very quickly and were on board in a matter of minutes. It has been a while since we sailed celebrity and the welcome champagne brought back some nice memories. We slipped upstairs, dumped our carry-on items and (since the cabin was not yet prepared) went out exploring. It quickly became a real pleasure since (unlike a class of ship you know well) we did not know where everything was. It was truly a "treasure hunt".

Cabin - We were in the new Aqua Class. I don't think the cabin is any larger than the other balcony cabins, it came with some perks - all AQ cabins are on Deck 11 (double occupancy only), a dedicated restaurant - BLU (more about it later), a dedicated Relaxation Room, iced tea and bottled water daily, a nice shower panel, fresh flowers, fresh fruit, canapes daily, huge fluffy towels, great beds, personalized stationary, etc. Most of the items are available in the Concierge Class as well. Storage was adequate for a 7 night cruise, but you just had to look for the areas in the well designed cabin. The bathroom is also very well designed and modern with a storage cabinet with a door. The shower was great. They could use one pre towel rack, perhaps over the toilet. The new interactive TV is great (especially the music selection), but a few more channels would be appreciated. The balcony was fine and a door really sealed out any noise. We were concerned about noise from the deck above, but our fears proved groundless - very quiet at night. Read more